


Subtleties

by CaptainErica



Series: Subtleties defeat you [2]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, Fluff, clueless Hermione
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-16
Updated: 2018-12-16
Packaged: 2019-09-19 23:21:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17011101
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CaptainErica/pseuds/CaptainErica
Summary: Harry is rather friendly and charming, Hermione is busy and a bit clueless, and Draco Malfoy probably could be less subtle.





	Subtleties

Hermione had a very logical distaste for Friday mornings.

It was hard to like most mornings for many people, but their reasons usually ranged from not being morning people, to being in the wrong job and therefore not enjoying what they were waking up to do.

Hermione had always been quite the morning person, and a night owl through rigorous training, so it was not having to get up that caused her to dislike Friday mornings. She also happened to quite like her job, relish the challenges, enjoy the commute to the office, so it was not the part about the job.

Well, it was partly about her job, but only because Friday morning meant a string of meetings and an even fuller inbox than her normal days. This wasn’t necessarily _bad_ , but she wasn’t allowed to work on the weekend any longer (when she’s made head, eventually, someday, she won’t be bound by this stupid rule), so she has to get through it all on Friday. It’s always a bit daunting when she comes in, and she’s never quite prepared…

It’s 2 weeks before Christmas now, give or take a few days, and it’s been around a week since Draco Malfoy had last stepped into her office with a ridiculous story and a reminder of Christmas being around the corner. She thinks of it, then, sitting at her desk considering her upcoming tasks; thinks of the strange way he had spoken to her… then shakes her head at herself in disgust and turns away from her desk so she can take a breath and really consider her morning. Today was not the day to think about the enigma that was Draco Malfoy.

There are a lot of things that she has to do today, and top of the list are a meeting with the aurors at quarter past 9, and a proposal for a new law that could be instrumental in fixing the stigma that werewolves live under. They are her top priorities; not Why Draco Malfoy lied to her about having magical beast problems or why he’s so…

She turns back to her desk and goes back to her tea and morning pastry, and forces her mind to the agenda for the upcoming meeting.

It’s just past noon when Hermione sets the proposal down and brushes her hair back into a more controlled ponytail. She sighs and settles more in her seat, then checks the time and sighs to herself. She shuffles the papers into order, taps them on the desk, and then very carefully slides them into a folder, and then sets the folder carefully into her OUT box, feeling very pleased and accomplished. She then stands, turns for her scarf, cloak, and mittens, and leaves her office.

She runs into him in the hallway on the way into the auror offices. She blinks and then tries to pretend she hadn’t seen him, hadn’t seen Draco Malfoy loitering in the hall. She tells the receptionist she’s heading to see Harry, and then opens the door that appears and slips through, peripherally aware that Malfoy stays in the hallway.

“Hermione, you’re late.” Harry says, grin bright. “But I’ll forgive you, I was finished with my work before you for once.”

Hermione rolls her eyes, feeling lighter. “Yes, well, if your fellow aurors were less long-winded during our meetings I would have been done earlier.” She says as Harry pulls his cloak on, and a hat.

“Ears won’t be cold?” He asks, nodding to her hatless head.

“Witch, remember?” She says, with a wink, turning for the door. Harry makes a bright sound, a laugh in his demeanor instead of in sound.

They leave the office and there is Draco Malfoy, and Hermione had forgotten in the moment, but he’s standing before them now so she can’t ignore him.

“Oh, Malfoy, you finish your meeting with Duggins?” Harry asks, stopping them before him. “Think you could be up to a spot of lunch? Hermione just tore me away, we’re headed to the pub up the street.” He says, which Hermione had not agreed to, but they’ve a very good beef stew she’s willing to have today; Friday is as good a day as any for comfort food.

Malfoy’s eyes go from Harry to Hermione at that, then drag down, which she notes with some vague alarm. His lips tilt up into a soft version of his normal smirk. “If Granger doesn’t object…” He says, like he’s being polite, but something about it makes her cheeks flush just a touch.

She shakes her head. “No, no come. The pub is nice, and though it’s technically in muggle London, they never bat an eye at our cloaks.” She says, too much explanation, what is this?

Harry grins, nudging Hermione with his elbow. “Think they believe we’re actors or something, it’s quite fun actually.” He says, and Malfoy looks like he’s a little uncertain, but Harry gets them moving, doesn’t take no for an answer now, doesn’t allow it, and ushers them along out to head toward the pub, Harry starting the conversation again; he’s quite better at this than he used to be, or just the same as he used to be, but he’s calmer now than he was as a student.

Hermione is very good at _continuing_ the conversation though, still talking, very strongly advocating for her side of the story, Harry laughing good-naturedly as they settle into their booth. Malfoy is rather quiet, though amused, and he does offer a few good comments…

It’s almost like an out of body experience, when Hermione thinks back on lunch as she’s walking home from work later that evening. She’d opted for the walk because it’s always a nice way to cool down at the end of the work week. Lunch with Harry and Malfoy had been comfortable enough, strange but interesting. It’s as she gets to her door that she realizes that Malfoy must have waited for them to leave, since he had clearly been heading for the lifts when she had entered (she had been so frazzled by seeing him that she hadn’t consciously noted that, but now…). That was a strange thing for him to do, wasn’t it?

What was also strange was the smile on Malfoy’s lips as he had made to part ways from them after lunch. The soft tilt to his lips, the almost kind look, as he had added a softly teasing remark about her going to the bookstore over the weekend (something Harry had brought up, not her).

It was odd, very odd.

Draco Malfoy was odd, wasn’t he? It was strange the amount of times she had seen him recently, the way he talked. He was still _Draco Malfoy_ , but he was… different too. There was something far more genuine than posturing about him now.

She shakes her head and lets herself into her apartment, willing herself not to think about it any further, at least not tonight.

**Author's Note:**

> And so the clueless series continues...


End file.
